Revised Site Access Arrangements
Following further detailed design and supporting technical work, Bloor Homes now have a greater degree of certainty on the number of new homes that will ultimately be delivered on the former North Worcestershire Golf Club in consideration of the Outline Planning consent for ‘up to’ 800 dwellings.
Members of the local community may be aware that Phase 1a of the development comprises 170 dwellings located in the north of the site and accessed off Frankley Beeches Road. These approved new homes are currently under construction. Phase 2 of the development is located in the south and east of the former Golf Club (accessed via Tessall Lane) and a ‘Reserved Matters’ application for approval of the details of 353 dwellings has recently been submitted to Birmingham City Council. The residential balance of the site is referred to as Phase 1b and will be located to the west of the site, adjacent to Phase 1a. It is anticipated by Bloor that Phase 1b will provide for around 175 dwellings. As such, once fully built-out the site is more likely to comprise a total of around 700 new homes rather than 800 dwellings as consented.
As a result of the reduction in the number of dwellings there will be a consequent reduction in traffic movements. Therefore, an opportunity now presents itself to remove the consented Frankley Beeches Road / Egghill Lane roundabout access arrangement (download the approved junction drawing). Vehicular access for both Phase 1a and Phase 1b would, therefore, be served by the Frankley Beeches Road priority junction currently under construction. The location and technical design of this access was recently improved in order to introduce a right turn lane junction on Frankley Beeches Road (with associated pedestrian refuge) which will deliver the significant benefit of removing right turners into the site from the eastbound lane of Frankley Beeches Road, thereby maintaining a permanent through lane for traffic which will be particularly beneficial during peak hours.
Whilst the proposal is to not construct a new vehicular access onto the Frankley Beeches Road / Egghill Lane roundabout, there will still be a pedestrian and cycle access link to / from the west of the site onto Frankley Beeches Road in this area. However, rather than deliver this link onto the roundabout, a revised location further to the west is being proposed which will provide a more direct and convenient link to the parade of shops (including Tesco Express), bus stop and other local facilities. The potential foot and cycle path link is shown on a revised Development Framework Plan (Rev V). The full details of this proposed pedestrian and cycle connection will be brought forward through a forthcoming Phase 1b Reserved Matters application.
Having been subject to further, detailed transport assessment the removal of a site access onto the Frankley Beeches Road / Egghill Lane roundabout will have no material bearing on the distribution of traffic onto the local highway network. Notably, an emergency access link from Frankley Beeches Road through to Tessall Lane (across the central area of public open space) remains part of the development scheme and is unaffected by this proposal.
The implications of the proposal have also been considered from an environmental perspective, to include the resulting increased level of tree and vegetation retention in this area of the site.
In consideration of the above, Harris Lamb planning consultants have been instructed by Bloor to submit a S73 planning application seeking the Variation of Conditions 5 (approved plans) and 20 (site access) attached to the Outline planning permission (Ref. 2019/10649/PA) to remove the Frankley Beeches Road/Egghill Lane site access. The variation of Condition 6 of the above named consent is also sought in order to replace the approved Development Framework Plan (Ref. No. 6863-L-04 Rev T) with a revised drawing that shows the removal of the Frankley Beeches Road / Egghill Lane roundabout access and the relocation of the foot and cycle path link (Drawing Ref. No. 6863-L-04 Rev V).
The application will be submitted to Birmingham City Council towards the end of January 2022 following which local residents will be formally consulted by the City Council for any comments they may have on the proposal.